


Augury

by butterflyslinky



Series: Augury [1]
Category: DCU
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Epistolary, Evil Tim Drake, M/M, References to Illness, Stephanie Brown is Robin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-04
Updated: 2020-06-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:55:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24545005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/butterflyslinky/pseuds/butterflyslinky
Summary: Batman needs a new Robin. Tim Drake has the perfect candidate.
Relationships: Tim Drake/Ra's al Ghul
Series: Augury [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1773964
Comments: 17
Kudos: 112





	Augury

**Author's Note:**

> Fill for this kink meme prompt: https://dckinkmeme.dreamwidth.org/766.html?thread=316670#cmt316670
> 
> This will probably continue for a while. I don't have much idea of where I'm going with it, so updates will be sporadic. The timeline was adjusted to Battle for the Cowl, but the dates are arbitrary.

_ June 15, 2005 _

Dear Miss Brown,

We have never met in person, but I have been watching you. I know that the Cluemaster is a dreadful nuisance in your personal life, and I know you would rather not be the daughter of a villain. I am also aware that you are well-trained and clever, and I have a proposal for you.

As you know, the second Robin has recently disappeared. I know how, and why; however, I shouldn’t tell you. If you need to know later, Batman will tell you.

Robin’s absence has made Batman too angry. Too extreme to continue being the man he ought to be. He needs a partner. Someone to prevent him from disgracing the cowl entirely.

You should volunteer to be the new Robin. You are capable, and your disposition is well-suited to the job. I would take it myself, but I am not physically fit enough to live up to the standard that’s already set. You will, of course, need to cut and dye your hair in order to fit the part, but that is a small sacrifice to make to ensure Batman remains pure.

If you want to take this suggestion, go to Wayne Manor and tell the butler you want to be Robin. If he is not convinced, contact Dick Grayson in Bludhaven; he should be able to make sure you get the job.

I will be watching your career with great interest.

Yours sincerely,

Augury  
  
  


_ July 1, 2005 _

Dear Miss Brown,

It's good to see Gotham with both its old guardians back. Something about it just finally feels right.

I am disappointed that you haven't fixed your hair. The new costume I can accept; I know girls can’t wear shorts like that without getting into trouble. But the hair really isn’t right. Whoever heard of a Robin with blond hair? I’ve included dye in the package so you can fix that.

I liked watching the fight, but I feel that your form needs work. You are trying too hard to use your fists when your legs are much stronger. You should practice your kicks in training. Batman should understand.

I look forward to testing you in the near future.

Sincerely,

Augury  
  
  


_ February 6, 2006 _

Dear Miss Brown,

I was so glad to meet you in person at last. Cameras are good for getting the basics, but nothing beats first-hand observation.

You did very well at dismantling my encryption. I was very impressed. The information on it should help you with a few of your cold cases. I don’t expect Batman to be impressed; he is very critical of you, isn’t he? I had hoped for better; I chose you myself.

Incidentally, you need to work on your quips. If I am to be your nemesis, I want a bit more of a verbal challenge. Just because I’m young doesn’t mean I can’t verbally spar as well as you. I regret having to hire thugs to fight you, but you could see why it was necessary.

I hope you can track me through the city. That would prove that I was right about you, not that I doubt it. Of course, if you do find me, I will move again as soon as you arrive. Do give me some warning; it would be inconvenient to have to reconfigure my computers on short notice. And my staff will be very put out if they have to do it in under an hour.

Tell Batman I’ll be expensing him for the sunglasses you broke. I’ll let my medical bills slide; I have excellent doctors on staff and they know that I can be...clumsy.

Sincerely,

Augury  
  
  


_ September 12, 2006 _

Dear Mr. Drake,

I have been watching your work over the past six months and I am greatly impressed. You have kept the new Robin very busy; for this I commend you.

Do not be surprised that I know who you are. There is hardly a criminal I do not know about. And do not be concerned about my knowledge; I do not intend to harm you, so long as you do not harm me or my organization.

I see that you could be of great use to me. I have been organizing a plan to rid the world of all its corruption, and I would like you to assist me. I promise great reward if you do, including the promise that you will survive it. 

There will soon be an outbreak of a deadly virus in Gotham. I would like you to monitor the outbreak sites and catalog the casualties. This will be much easier to do with your network, since Oracle has not yet penetrated your defenses. In return, I will send you the vaccine for the virus, so that you may protect yourself and your household. I would send enough for your parents, but I believe they are abroad. Your constitution is so weak, you have no hope of surviving without me. I have ensured that the vaccine will not do you more harm than the virus; it may not be entirely pleasant, but it is better than the alternative.

It would be best, dear Augury, if Batman did not know of your involvement. Of course, if you wished to warn him, I would be more than happy to tell him your name and location. I do not believe the juvenile detention center in Gotham will be terribly conducive to your continued existence, but I am willing to make that sacrifice.

Please let me know your answer post-haste.

Sincerely,

Ra’s al Ghul  
  
  


_ September 15, 2006 _

Dear Mr. al Ghul,

I am intrigued by your proposition, and I would be happy to assist on one condition--I would like Robin to live. She is a project that I have invested far too much time and energy on, and she amuses me greatly. I would hate for the project to end prematurely. Besides, once the dust settles, there will need to be at least one hero in Gotham to ensure the chaos isn’t too great for you to manage.

I will require to know where this virus will be released. It will be easier to track the infections if I have a central starting point. I would also need direct access to whatever computer servers you will be using in this project so I can upload the data directly; I would hate for it to be intercepted if I were to email it or send it by mail.

I look forward to our partnership.

Sincerely,

Timothy Drake (Augury)  
  
  


_ September 17, 2006 _

Dear Mr. Drake,

I will indulge you and do my best to keep Robin alive. However, I will not be held responsible if she does something foolish that jeopardizes her own safety. As to your worries about chaos being too great for me to handle, do not fear; I have organized larger bands than the citizens of Gotham before, and out of more disorder than you can possibly imagine.

The virus will be released near the pier; dock workers are hearty, and it will be several weeks before anyone realizes what happened. By that time, the spread will be too great for anyone to stop without my help. I trust that you can find the names and families of every dock worker in Gotham without trouble. From there, tracking the outbreak should be simple for you.

I will grant you access to a single server of our network. The credentials will be sent to you separately; as you say, it would be a shame for our data to be intercepted. It will be a single server, and it will be encrypted so that you cannot dismantle the rest of my network or see anything confidential. You will forgive my caution, but you are far too clever and curious to grant full access to immediately.

I am grateful for your aid in this matter.

Sincerely,

Ra’s al Ghul  
  
  


_ October 31, 2006 _

Dear Miss Brown,

I am very impressed by your ingenuity. That virus was not made to be cured so effectively. Of course, Batman did most of the work, but your contributions were invaluable to him.

However, I have to warn you that you have made a very powerful enemy. Ra’s al Ghul is not an easy person to deal with. I trust you will be able to avoid his immediate anger, but you should stay out of his way. I can let you know what crimes will involve him in the coming months so that you can avoid him.

I can also provide a full map of the contagion if you don’t tell anyone where you got it. It’s useless to the League of Shadows now, but you would find it interesting. 

Please let me know if you accept and I will upload all the information to Oracle’s backup computer. Tell her not to try and trace it; I intend on using several proxies and it would take too much of her time. Just leave your reply in Gotham somewhere, I will find it.

Sincerely,

Augury

_ November 1, 2006 _

Augury--upload your damn information and then GO AWAY. Robin  
  
  
  


_ December 16, 2006 _

Dear Miss Brown,

I trust the information I gave you last month was helpful. It certainly kept Oracle very busy.

I have done my best to stay out of your way for the last six weeks. However, I wanted to send you a small token in the spirit of the season. I hope you find this acceptable.

I hope you have a merry Christmas with the Waynes. I know it’s only the second one for you that will be nice. You deserve to have a nice Christmas.

Sincerely,

Augury  
  
  


_ December 26, 2006 _

Dear Augury,

Thank you for the dagger. It is very pretty and useful.

We did have a nice Christmas. Alfred made a really good dinner and Dick actually came back. Bruce was really happy to see him, but I could tell he’s still sad about Jason. We did go out to put poinsettias on the graves. It was weird and uncomfortable.

I hope you had a nice Christmas too. I don’t know what most supervillains do for Christmas. Cluemaster didn’t really do much except drink and come up with schemes. Is that all you do too?

Please stop with the Miss Brown stuff. It makes you sound old, but I don’t think you are. Of course, I’ve met Babydoll so I could be wrong

Sincerely, 

Steph  
  
  


_ January 2, 2007 _

Dear Steph,

I’m glad to hear things were nice for you and that you like the dagger. Please don’t use it on me.

Don’t worry about my age. I’m old enough to know what I’m doing

I didn’t drink alcohol and scheme over Christmas. I drank cocoa and schemed. And I had dinner with my parents, since they decided to visit.

Have you reconsidered the hair? Maybe at least a wig?

I’m looking forward to matching wits with you again soon.

Sincerely,

Augury  
  
  


_ May 4, 2007 _

Dear Mr. Drake,

I find myself once again in need of your services. I am aware that you are preoccupied with a bank robbery at the moment; however, I am also aware it is just to test Robin’s mettle, as you have no need to rob your own bank vault otherwise. However, if you can bear a distraction, I would like to ask a favor of you.

I have recently come into contact with a very interesting person, whom I would like to station in Gotham. However, Batman has managed to find most of my safehouses and fronts, so I have no safe place to send him. I wondered if you would be able to accommodate him until he is able to find a living space of his own.

He will not cause you too much trouble; your home is large enough for him, and I doubt your parents will even notice his presence. He does have a few violent tendencies, but he will not harm you, even with your physical frailties. If he does, I swear that he will be punished by my hand. He does have some intellectual skills; he may prove to be an asset to you when he is not on missions for me.

I will, of course, compensate you for your hospitality. Name your price; I will certainly be able to meet it.

Sincerely,

Ra’s al Ghul  
  
  


_ May 6, 2007 _

Dear Mr. al Ghul,

I would be happy to accept a guest. As you say, the house is large enough for another person, and I doubt anyone would notice him. If they do, I could pass him off as a new servant or nurse. I have so many people looking after me that one more will hardly make a difference.

As to compensation, I would appreciate any information you have on the Black Glove. They are becoming a dreadful nuisance in the city, and they are getting in my way. I don’t have enough information to make a dent in them, and I fear they will try to recruit me soon. As you can imagine, I am much happier working freelance for the moment.

If this is acceptable to you, you can send the information along with your guest.

Sincerely,

Timothy Drake  
  
  


_ May 10, 2007 _

Dear Mr. al Ghul,

When you said my guest would be interesting, this is not what I had in mind. However, I am delighted that you have returned him home and honored that you have entrusted me with his care.

Jason arrived yesterday, and he is settling in well. He doesn’t speak much, but he does answer questions easily. I trust this is a defect you wish remedied? The information he has given me thus far could be considered indiscrete at least; the way he was returned to life is fascinating, but ought to be kept a secret.

Thank you for the files on the Black Glove. I have not had time to examine them closely, but I do believe they will be more than adequate for what I have planned.

Sincerely,

Timothy Drake   
  
  


_ May 12, 2007 _

Dear Mr. Drake,

I would appreciate it if you did not share the information that Jason has given you. However, I do not mind you having it. Given your condition, you would need extensive help to make any use of it, and even then it would be far too much exertion for you.

I am glad my information is adequate. Please do let me know if you or Jason requires anything further.

Sincerely,

Ra’s al Ghul  
  
  


_ August 24, 2007 _

Dear Augury,

Can you please stop opening every lock in Gotham whenever you get bored? We have enough work to do without having to reconfigure systems constantly. I hate to think what will happen when you move onto Wayne Enterprises. If you’re going to hack locks, make sure they’re useful locks!

Sincerely,

Robin  
  
  


_ August 25, 2007 _

Dear Robin,

What makes you think those aren’t useful locks?

If you’re that worried about it, buy a deadbolt. I might be able to open those remotely one day, but I’m not there yet.

Sincerely,

Augury  
  
  


_ September 19, 2007 _

Dear Tim,

Thank you for the hospitality. I’m sorry it took me so long to move out.

I’ve found my own apartment in the warehouse district. I know you’ll find me immediately. Please don’t tell Ra’s where it is. I know you don’t work for him, you don’t owe him anything.

You can tell him I left and I’m not coming back to work for him any time soon. I have my own business to deal with.

Jason

  
  
  


_ September 20, 2007 _

Dear Steph,

I should warn you that you might have some problems soon in the warehouse district. If there’s someone called the Red Hood making trouble for you, watch his guns. He’s very fast with them and he shoots to kill.

Don’t try to hurt him or take him in. He’s far too clever for that, and he’s very, very familiar with how Batman works. It will end poorly for you to try.

Sincerely,

Augury  
  
  


_ December 10, 2007 _

Dear Augury,

You probably already know that we have a new addition to the manor. Damian Wayne arrived yesterday. He is, apparently, the son of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul.

If you know anything about this child, please share. So far, he is petulant, arrogant, and irritating as fuck. He also tried to murder me, but you did make sure I’m good at taking down people smaller and weaker than myself without hurting them.

Please let me know about Damian, or what Ra’s is plotting if you can.

Sincerely,

Steph  
  
  


_ December 13, 2007 _

Dear Steph,

I don’t know much more than you do. I have worked with Ra’s a few times, but he doesn’t share anything more than he needs to. Jason mentioned that Talia had a son, but I hadn’t made the connection, though it is obvious in retrospect.

As to what Ra’s is plotting, he hasn’t asked for my help so I really don’t know. If I hear anything, I will tell you if I feel it is necessary.

Sincerely,

Augury  
  
  


_ March 21, 2008 _

Dear Mr. Drake,

As much as it pains me to impose on your good nature once again, I have a further boon to ask of you. As you have no doubt heard, my grandson has recently arrived in Gotham, in the home of his father.

Already, I fear the child is growing to be too much like his father. I admit, I may have, perhaps, harmed the child for my own purposes. However, he is all right now, and now that my personal business is settled, I would like the child to be trained as my heir, as is proper.

As Jason has left my organization and the rest of my agents in Gotham are too busy with their current tasks, I hoped you might be available to help with Damian’s education. I know I cannot ask you to train him physically, and Batman will take care of that anyway. However, you have skills beyond Batman’s that I believe Damian will find very useful.

In exchange for your teachings, I will be happy to pay whichever price you name.

Sincerely,

Ra’s al Ghul  
  
  


_ March 23, 2008 _

Dear Mr. al Ghul,

I will pass on whatever skills I have that can be easily taught at a distance. My health has grown worse over the past few months, and I am currently not allowed any visitors. Fortunately, most of my skills are on a computer, and I can easily teach them without ever seeing the boy.

In return, I would ask for a vial of Lazarus water. I can think of no other cure for my ailment, and while I do not fear death, I have more to accomplish before I leave this life behind.

Sincerely,

Timothy Drake  
  
  


_ March 25, 2008 _

Dear Mr. Drake,

I find myself astonished by your last correspondence. Your request, I fear, is too great for me to fulfill at this time.

Do not believe that I am selfish when I say this. I know that your health fails you more and more as time goes on. However, the Lazarus water is dangerous when used on the living; it may cure you, but it will also destroy your mind, and you would be quite useless without it. 

However, I myself am a doctor of some skill. If I may be permitted to visit you, I could help. I may not be able to cure the illness entirely, but I could give you enough strength and lengthen your life a considerable amount. I do hope this is an acceptable substitution to your request, at least for the moment. I cannot be there long, but I have enough time for what I need to do.

Please let me know if I may attend to you personally, and I will be there within the day.

Sincerely,

Ra’s al Ghul  
  
  


_ May 27, 2008 _

Dear Mr. al Ghul,

That compromise is acceptable, on condition that if I die in your care, you take me to this wondrous pit of yours and restore my life. 

I know it’s a lot to ask, but sixteen seems rather young to die.

I look forward to meeting you at last.

Sincerely,

Timothy Drake  
  
  


_ July 7, 2008 _

Dear Augury,

I was glad to see you out and about again. I had almost worried after the month-long radio silence that you’d either been caught or had died.

Damian is settling better now that he has something to do. I don’t know what you’re teaching that child, but it’s doing him good. And you, I think. The last heist was much better than the last seven.

I still found the jewels and returned them to their rightful owners, but your puzzles were much harder than last time. I guess I’m getting better at solving them, though, so that makes sense.

I’m down to fight your hired thugs again soon.

Sincerely,

Steph  
  
  


_ July 9, 2008 _

Dear Steph,

I’m sorry for scaring you. There was a small problem with my health, but I found a doctor who made me healthy again.

I’m glad to know you’re getting better at my little puzzles. I’ll have to make them harder for you.

Damian is doing well with my teachings. He’s a bright child, and very good at everything I show him. With his bloodline, it’s not surprising, though I don’t think he’ll ever be good as Batman.

He is not nearly as interesting as you were, that’s for sure.

I’ll hire the more skilled thugs next time. You certainly need the practice.

Sincerely,

Augury  
  
  


_ September 13, 2008 _

Dear Augury,

I’m sure you already know, but I have to tell you anyway.

Batman is dead.

Gotham is now under my protection. I can’t keep solving your puzzles and fighting your thugs and chasing you through secret passages anymore; I’ll be too busy with every other rogue in the city.

I’m sure you understand. This is why you chose me, what you’ve been training me for. I feel certain I can do it. Not that I have a choice.

Please don’t make my job any harder than it already is. I’ll miss you; you were a worthy nemesis, but it’s time to stop playing games and enter the big leagues.

Look after yourself. Maybe come see me, and not as Augury. I would love to know who you really are. I don’t know why, but I think you’re really lonely.

Sincerely,

Steph

  
  
  


_ November 20, 2008 _

Dear Steph,

Batman is alive. He’s lost in time, but he’s alive.

Help me find him. We can bring him back and everything will be back to normal. I’m gathering evidence, but I’m going to need someone else to do the legwork.

Sincerely.

Augury

  
  
  


_ November 22, 2008 _

Dear Augury,

He’s dead, I saw it. Don’t go chasing ghosts, you aren’t well. I can handle Gotham just fine on my own. If Bruce comes back somehow, I’ll be glad, but I doubt he will.

Sincerely,

Steph  
  
  


_ March 8, 2009 _

Dear Mr. Grayson,

You must return to Gotham at once. Robin is failing to keep it safe. She is a disappointment, beyond any that I have ever had before.

Not only has crime run rampant through the city, but a certain someone decided to become Batman himself. He was a pale imposter; not only did he fail to bring order to the city, but he actually killed people while wearing the cowl! Naturally, I could not let this stand.

I had the imposter brought to me; we were already acquainted, and it was best to correct the issue myself. He got the message, but I am uncertain it will hold for long.

I beg you to come back and restore honor to the cowl. Batman should remain pure and good, and this imposter--you know him as Jason Todd--has failed to do that. The cowl must be kept for the rightful owner. I’m working to get him home, but I can’t have Batman sullied while I do it.

Sincerely,

Augury  
  
  


_ April 15, 2009 _

Dear Miss Brown,

I cannot tell you how disappointed I am. I thought you were better than what happened this week

I understood your failure to Gotham. You are still young, and you are not Batman. In fact, I now see that you never will be, or could be Batman. You will never live up to him, no matter how hard you try.

But I thought you would never fail Robin. I should have known better. I was foolish to believe you were good enough for it. You were clever, the last few years, but you weren’t good enough.

If you were, you never would have let Dick take Robin from you. If you were good enough, you wouldn’t have allowed him to pass the name to Damian. Damian is not good enough to be Robin; he cannot inspire the right sort of hope in the people.

I insist you demand the name back before I do something drastic. You aren’t good enough for it, but you’re better than him. I know that Bruce Wayne is alive, somewhere, and I have the resources to find him.

You might have stopped some of my crimes, but I completed far more.

Sincerely,

Augury   
  
  
  


_ May 9, 2009 _

Dear Mr. al Ghul,

I find myself needing to ask a favor of you for once. After all the times you’ve contacted me, I am entitled to this indulgence.

I have evidence that Bruce Wayne is still alive but lost in time. I have done as much research as I can from here, but the rest of my evidence--and the method to bring him back--are out of my reach. As you know, I cannot do extensive legwork; however, the situation in Gotham has deteriorated to the point where I need to bring him home.

I would appreciate use of your network, and perhaps a few of your field agents. Your knowledge of history is great, and your agents are the best in the world. And it would be to our mutual benefit to have things the way they were before.

I will, of course, compensate you in any way I can. My resources are not quite as unlimited as yours, but I feel certain I can meet your expectations.

Sincerely,

Timothy Drake 

  
  
  


_ May 11, 2009 _

Dear Mr. Drake,

I find your request intriguing. If what you say is true, you are correct in thinking it would be beneficial to bring Bruce Wayne back to his proper time. Mr. Grayson is a capable hero, but he is not nearly as challenging, and I would prefer to have someone less capricious to battle.

The time has come when I can entrust you with some of my historical records. I cannot allow you to see anything from the last fifty years or so, but everything before that should pose no threats to any of my current field agents; as you might imagine, most of them do not live for fifty years after working for me.

As to field agents, I have a few who are currently unoccupied. They are loyal and excellent at assassinating people, though I fear you will have to guide them through historical research. Of course, I know you can do that without exerting yourself too much.

Finally, the matter of compensation. I cannot deny that the three weeks I spent at your bedside affected me greatly. Even in the throes of an illness that should have ended your life, you showed great spirit, and a mind that I find extremely beautiful. I was ever so glad that I could bring you back, if only to spend another night conversing with you.

You have also proven to be very useful in the shadows of my operations. No one on earth has a network such as yours, for all that your records lack, and that is only because you have not had time to build them properly. You have proven able to gather quite a lot of information in a short amount of time when properly motivated, and that is a skill more valuable than any assassin’s aim.

If it pleases you, I would ask for your hand in marriage, in exchange for my aid in finding Bruce Wayne. As my bride, you would be moved to much more luxurious quarters; you would have access to any equipment or information you could ever want. You would have servants to attend to your every whim, not just to order you about and treat you like a frail child. I would give you freedom to move about as you please, and if you wish to travel, I will arrange it without endangering you. You would have the best medical care I could offer--including the magic of the Lazarus Pit if it became necessary. You are right that sixteen is too young to die; seventeen is hardly any better. 

I do not expect an answer right away. I am sending my historical records as a sign of good faith; I will send my agents on receipt of your acceptance.

I eagerly await your answer.

Sincerely,

Ra’s al Ghul   
  
  


_ May 18, 2009 _

Dear Ra’s,

You will forgive me for the delay in answering your last letter. I admit, I was shocked by your proposal. Shocked, and very flattered. I never expected a man like you would want to marry a pale and ill boy like me.

I have thought of nothing this week but my answer and the information you sent me. It has been very helpful; I have marked numerous places where there is further evidence of Bruce Wayne’s survival, and a few are promising as a place to pull him back to the correct timeline.

Our resources will be best combined permanently, and I would certainly be more comfortable as your bride than as one of your agents. As I mentioned before, I dislike working for other people; however, our marriage would ensure that I am more than one of your lackeys. Everything you offer is enticing, and I can think of no objection to the match.

I will be happy to marry you in three months' time; I apologize for the delay, but by then, I will be a legal adult, and it will be easier to elope with you if my parents can’t stop me. I hope that timeframe is acceptable to you, and that the delay in our marriage will not cause a delay in my investigations.

Sincerely,

Timothy Drake

  
  
  


_ May 20, 2009 _

My dear Timothy,

I am delighted by your acceptance. Three months is an acceptable delay; it will give me time to prepare suitable quarters for you and arrange something of a wedding feast, even if we cannot have a full celebration.

The messenger bringing this letter is one of the three I am sending to aid in your investigation. The other two should remain near him; they are all prepared to assist you in any way they can. They will even transport you to places if you feel you must see them for yourself, though I hope you will not put your health at risk too often.

I will send for you in three months. It will be an intolerable wait for you, but it will go in the blink of an eye for me.

Sincerely,

Ra’s al Ghul  
  
  


_ August 30, 2009 _

Dear Mother and Father,

I have left this house, perhaps forever. I may return once you have left it permanently, but I doubt I will ever wish to live in the place that was my prison and sickroom for so many years.

I have eloped with a man of great age and fortune. I would give you his name, but I doubt it would do you any good. You are not acquainted with him, and he would not allow you to find us. I have taken everything I own, plus enough money to travel to him comfortably. Think of it as my dowry.

I cannot express how much I hate this place, and how you left me in it. While I struggled to breathe and move, you flew away and never looked back. Every doctor you sent failed to cure me, and every servant you hired neglected me to the point where I had to learn to look after myself in spite of the illness. You need not worry about paying them any longer; I dismissed them all, except the girl who does the dusting, and I have reduced her duties to once a month. That should be good enough for your infrequent visits.

My new husband has done more for me in the last year than you ever did. With his help, I survived the worst part of this ailment; not only did he save me from death when the others had declared it hopeless, but he had me on my feet again in a matter of weeks. He has never seen me as broken, or worthless. He values me for what I have learned to do in my isolation.

Of course, I did leave that sanctuary a few times. Gotham is beautiful, and I love her, more than I love anything. I have done my best to make sure she is protected, and I will continue to do that, wherever my new husband takes me. Perhaps I will return to the city one day, when I am ensured she is safe again.

I will leave no forwarding address; if you have urgent need of me, I will know. And if I have urgent need of you--though I cannot imagine any circumstance where I would--I can always find you, wherever you go. I know much more than you could ever imagine, more than anyone shut away from the world should know. 

Your son,

Tim   
  


_ September 2, 2009 _

Dear Mr. Grayson, Mr. Todd, Miss Brown, and Mr. Wayne,

I am writing to express my disgust at all of you. Since Bruce Wayne disappeared, you have all failed to live up to expectations set by his example.

Fortunately, I now have everything I need to find him and restore him to Gotham. You are lucky that I have chosen to take no further action to stop your bungling and failures.

Do not attempt to stop me. I have backing from the Demon itself, and you cannot hope to fight all of us. And if you try, I would be able to make all of your lives very difficult. I know your identities, and I would ruin you, both as heroes and as people.

Like you, Dick. How do you think the press would react to the full story of what happened with Barbara Gordon? What do you think the Joker would do if he knew the girl he broke so thoroughly was the same hero who still continues to ruin his plans? And how would the world see you if they knew how much Nightwing slept around Titans Tower?

And you, Jason. We were friends, once. I know every dirty deed you did, every crime you committed. I’m sure the Gotham police would be glad to get their hands on you. Or any of the people you betrayed. I can think of dozens of people who would happily put you back in your grave if they find out you crawled out of it.

What about you, Damian? Did you forget everything I taught you? That your grandfather taught you? You were not made to be Robin. You were made to be the Demon’s heir. And now you cannot be either; you have failed at everything you were made to be. One word from me in the ear of my husband and you will return to us, and this time you won’t be his heir, but an example. I may not be able to give him a new heir--not that he stops trying anyway--but I’m certain we can find a suitable replacement.

As to you, Stephanie, I have already expressed my disappointment in you. I trust I don’t need to repeat myself. Of course, if I do, your father would love to know where his little girl has gone. He’s probably already planned a touching reunion for the two of you.

I no longer worry about you knowing my name; Jason probably told you as soon as he returned to your fold. And you will not find me. My husband would never allow it, and I would never let you part me from him.

Sincerely,

Timothy Jackson Drake al Ghul (Augury)


End file.
